When SPCA inspectors found him, Goliath was extremely malnourished and missing hair on all four legs due to mange.

Riki was sentenced to 150 hours community work and ordered to pay $782.70 in reparations and $300 in court costs. She has also been disqualified from owning dogs for three years.

SPCA inspectors had initially visited Riki in May 2017 and advised her that the conditions provided for Goliath were inadequate, Stuff reports.

She was told to fix it up, but when inspectors visited the next day Goliath had become tangled in the wire, unable to reach shelter, had lost a "significant" amount of weight and appeared to have an infection in his left eye.

Goliath and the picnic table he was given to shelter under.
Photo credit: Supplied/SPCA

The dog was then seized and taken to the vet for medical care. Examination from the vet confirmed he was emaciated and had sarcoptic mange, conjunctivitis in both eyes, and pressure sores in multiple areas.

It took five weeks for Goliath to reach his idea body weight and he remained in the care of the SPCA until a year later, when he was sadly put down due to malignant tumours.

SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said in a statement pets rely on their owners to provide their basic needs and Riki let Goliath down.

"SPCA believes that no dog should spend their life on a chain," she said.

"We take some comfort in the fact in Goliath's last year of life he was given the very best care and unconditional love from the SPCA team."